Top headlines from the Board of County Commissioners Meeting

by | Jan 18, 2022

The following are highlights from today’s Washoe County Board of County Commissioners meeting:     

1. Commissioners approve Special District Funds in Recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day: The Board approved the recommendation of Vice Chair Alexis Hill, Commission District 1, for a District Fund allocation to the Office of the Washoe County Recorder to offset recording fees for homeowners wishing to include a Declaration of Removal of Discriminatory Restriction to disavow racist language contained in property records. Commissioner Kitty Jung requested a future agenda item to designate $1,000 of her District 4 funds for the same purpose.  

Many older properties’ declarations of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions throughout the county contained racial language discriminating against people of color from owning property in segments of the community. The fee to change records at Washoe County is $43, so this allocation of $1,000 from Commissioner Hill’s District Fund will cover the cost for homeowners to update the property recording with the Office of the Washoe County Recorder to disavow such language. 

In recognition of civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., whose legacy was celebrated yesterday during the annual holiday, Hill stated: “Illegal and offensive racial covenants are still tied to many older properties in Washoe County. I’m proud to utilize my Special District Funds to help people record a Declaration of Removal of Discriminatory Restriction without the typical $43 fee, to disavow restrictive deeds and covenants in property documents.” 

Washoe County Recorder Kalie Work commended the action. “Racially restrictive covenants were prevalent throughout property transactions in the twentieth century,” Work said. “I appreciate Vice Chair Commissioner Hill’s enthusiastic support for mobilizing homeowners to identify discriminatory restrictions of our past.”

2. Board approves various donations to the Human Services Agency: The Washoe County Human Services Agency (HSA) received donations and gifts valued around $20,000 in the fourth quarter of 2021. Gifts include: 

  • 20 gallons of milk from 7-11 to the Family Engagement Center 
  • Winter clothes and Target Gift Cards totaling approximately $9,400 collected during the agency’s Stuff a Bus donation drive on collaboration with the Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County.  
  • Food vouchers valued around $8,700 donated through the Title Company Food Drive led by Stewart Title in support of children in foster care. 
  • Various clothes, shoes, toys, and Halloween decorations collected for children in foster care. 

 3. County Manager recognizes employees who completed professional development programs: Washoe County Human Resources Department developed a new pilot program for Management Development, and issued certificates for employees who have completed the program. County Manager Eric Brown read the names of 16 employees who received the Management Development certificates, as well as 13 employees who completed Excellence in Public Service Certificate Programs.  

###